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Kindness in the cold


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Posted
  • Location: Pemberton, Wigan, 54 M ASL. 53.53,-2.67
  • Weather Preferences: Winter - snow, Irish sea convection. Summer - thunderstorms, hot sunny days
  • Location: Pemberton, Wigan, 54 M ASL. 53.53,-2.67

Thanks Jemma. Some excellent advice. Even doing just a few of these things can really help. :-) 

Edited by Chris.R
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Posted
  • Location: Scunthorpe
  • Weather Preferences: Extreme in Winter , Cricket Weather in Summer , Golf weather all year
  • Location: Scunthorpe

If you have a 4wd vehicle and know how to use it.. consider getting a rescue kit ready , tow rope , shovels etc etc. 

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Posted
  • Location: South East, Romney Marsh
  • Weather Preferences: Storms and Snow, lots of snow...
  • Location: South East, Romney Marsh

Great post.

After being snow starved for years on end Its easy to get super excited and wrapped up in the prospect of taking the kids sledging, snow ball fights etc and maybe overlook the down side of such extreme temperature drop and snow on other more vulerable members of society.

I appreciate the reminder,  Im gona give my nan a ring and get her shopping and errands sorted just incase it does actually snow next week.

Thank you. 

 

 

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Posted
  • Location: Staffordshire moorlands 252m asl
  • Weather Preferences: Frosty and fresh
  • Location: Staffordshire moorlands 252m asl

great check list Jemma often forgotten in the moment by most.

i do expect issues with power supplies at some point if the cold really digs in for the long haul.

 

One bit of good news is that UK Power Networks are already aware of the incoming weather and are liaising with the Met-O. If you are unlucky enough to suffer a power outage you can contact them 24/7 on 08003163105

Or just 105.

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Posted
  • Location: Shepton Mallet Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Seasonal
  • Location: Shepton Mallet Somerset

Hopefully local authorities are monitoring the forecasts and may make provision to open some shelters for the homeless. I wouldn't like to  think  of anyone close to me having to sleep rough at the moment, or anybody else for that ,matter..

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Posted
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.
  • Weather Preferences: Varied and not extreme.
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.
9 minutes ago, 78/79 said:

Hopefully local authorities are monitoring the forecasts and may make provision to open some shelters for the homeless. I wouldn't like to  think  of anyone close to me having to sleep rough at the moment, or anybody else for that ,matter..

That's a worry for me as well - the number of homeless people in Norwich seems to have increased sunstantially over this past few years.  As a wheelchair user, I may find it awkward getting out of the house much if we do get substantial snowfalls, my parents, though older, should be able to get round tthe village OK.

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Posted
  • Location: Swindon
  • Weather Preferences: Snow. Always Snow.
  • Location: Swindon
8 minutes ago, chrisbell-nottheweatherman said:

That's a worry for me as well - the number of homeless people in Norwich seems to have increased sunstantially over this past few years.  As a wheelchair user, I may find it awkward getting out of the house much if we do get substantial snowfalls, my parents, though older, should be able to get round tthe village OK.

Wiltshire already have their SWEP in place to provide shelter and streetlink is a great site to use to alert authorities of anyone homeless so they can send someone to take them to a shelter 

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Hi everyone and especially Jemma,

I hadn't realised that this specialist thread was opened and, yes,  it is an excellent idea.

About an hour ago, I posted on the MOD - one of my long reports (now buried on page 140). Well @Chris.R just PM'ed me to suggest that I might copy the bottom part here. After reading through the posts here, I completely agree that this is appropriate here. Many of my points have already been addressed by Jemma in her excellent and very helpful list but there are a few others too that I cover. I won't edit it at all, other than to remove the very long top (part 1)  which does belong on the MOD as it's all about "model output" related matters. 

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PART 2:  COPING WITH MASSIVE DISRUPTION AND DOING OUR BIT TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT AND PROTECT THE VULNERABLE

This leads me into a very serious part of my post. I know that many of us on the winter model thread love the cold and the snow and many also like extreme weather events. If this bitterly cold spell lives up to many of the predictions and I believe it will, then I fear that things will go beyond excitement and turn to worry and severe hardship for some.  We can do nothing about the weather but we can do something about how most of us can prepare for it and cope with it. Many of the younger generation will not have witnessed anything like what we may well be facing. If you have been on a skiing holiday (especially to the Alps this winter) you will have seen some very deep snow. This can be dangerous (with avalanche risks) but most of the time one can enjoy the wonderful conditions. Those resorts and many other very snow locations are completely prepared for regular heavy snowfalls but this is very different here and we can never be properly prepared. Indeed, should we be investing in very expensive snow clearing equipment which needs to be properly stored and maintained and perhaps only used once every 20 years? Some will always pose those questions and criticise the authorities, especially if their own lives are impacted in any way.

What Type of Disruption Might We Face?  

We know how a few inches of snow can bring roads, rail and airports to a standstill. How might we cope with one to two feet of it? Almost all roads will be closed for long periods, public transport will be seriously disrupted with endless cancellations. Being so cold, much of any snowfall is likely to be the dry, powdery type. In most countries this is much easier to deal with. They just blow it away. We hardly have any snow blowers (perhaps one or two at Heathrow?). We tend to salt roads all the time or use a de-icing substance for lower temperatures. Really we should use snow ploughs to clear it with little or no advanced salting and gritting.  All the salt does is partially thaw the snow which then re-freezes into huge icy patches which get compacted down and are far more difficult to clear. Most of our snow is wet snow with a high moisture content and then salt does do its job well.

With much of the road and rail network at a standstill, supplies of food, fuel and other essentials will be seriously disrupted, as will the emergency services. We may well see power outages. Snow can bring down cables and bury electricity sub stations. Demand for electricity will be at record levels and supplies may have to be rationed with set period power cuts except for hospitals, retirement and nursing homes and certain other essential services. The majority of schools would be closed except those used as refuge shelters. Businesses will be seriously impacted. If we do lose power, then there will be no computers, internet and no NetWeather viewing. Some of us will have burst pipes. This and any later rapid thaw can lead to severe flooding especially if the ground is frozen to quite a depth with nowhere for the water to go. 

Am I Being Melodramatic?

Perhaps I am but if these severe conditions take hold we need to be as best prepared as we can be. What i said above is just a small part of it. The major impact and concern would be on our actual lives. The vulnerable people might be in real danger. Severe winter spells always see a spike in the mortality rates. Any elderly, frail or ill people might really struggle to cope. If we are told not to drive unless it's an emergency then please heed those warnings. Accidents and abandoned vehicles can block the roads and prevent the vital emergency services from getting through, perhaps with the loss of life. Many of us are not prepared to drive in deep snow and icy conditions anyway. How many of us have winter tyres and snow chains?

What Can We Do To Cope With All This?

Back in 1962/63 I lived in north London. I was nearly 10 but I remember it all incredibly well. After the 48 hour snowfall that started on Boxing Day and then followed by a huge blizzard 2 to 3 days later we had over 2 foot of level snow and immense drifts to clear. Huge numbers got outside and cleared their paths and then the pavements and other's paths and helped to dig out shops etc. There are many archived pictures of snow pilled up over 3 to 4 feet high along the curbs and gutters but the roads and footpaths were usable most of the time. In fact many schools remained open - it is more a "health and safety" matter that so many are closed these days even following quite minor disruption. Many people walked to work but then most of our jobs were much more local to where we lived. We need to be prepared. Yes we should stock up on vital supplies but it will be plain selfish to hoard too much unless you'll be prepared to share some of it with others. Food, heating fuel, blankets and clearing equipment and materials (shovels and salt) might be on your shopping lists. I already have a set of foot snow chains which attach to one's shoes to prevent slipping over. They'll quickly sell out. 

How Can We Help Each Other?

Once we've taken care of our loved ones , families and friends we need to see how we can help those in real need. The Dunkirk spirit comes to mind. Beyond snow clearing duties, we should form small groups and organise ourselves. We need to ensure that everyone in our neighbourhood is accounted for. Check up on the elderly, those living on their own and the frail and vulnerable. Ensure that they have sufficient food and warmth and if possible, cater for any specific needs. In this insulated modern technological world we now live in, with instant communication we can easily feel protected in our own little bubbles. There is much that divides the nation (like Brexi)) but this would be a time to put all our differences aside and pull together.

Many will learn a lot if some of these dramatic events unfold. I accept that isolated parts, frail people and livestock are in far greater danger. I always believe in making the best out of any situation. The weather will do what it wants to and I will enjoy it all but I'm also aware that some may need a lot of help. 

I'll be be back with my Arctic report tomorrow.

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I do hope that everyone will be okay and wish you all the best, David

 

Edited by Guest
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Posted
  • Location: Louth, Ireland
  • Weather Preferences: Storms, Cold weather.
  • Location: Louth, Ireland

The simple stuff is great, older people do appreciate it. Just make sure they have fuel, enough food etc. They just like knowing someone thinks of them. 

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Posted
  • Location: Near Beverley, East Yorks. (5 metres a.s.l.)
  • Weather Preferences: Something good in all four seasons
  • Location: Near Beverley, East Yorks. (5 metres a.s.l.)

All good above and I would make a plea for the animals too.


I worry for caged outdoor pets especially.  They need more shelter, more bedding and

fresh, unfrozen water along with the foodstuffs.

I will be putting lots of food and fresh water out for the garden birds.

B.  :)

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